Ever since the Tea Party Republicans arrived on the scene in Washington, I’ve cast a wary eye at the notion of them as grass-roots insurgents disconnected from the party’s big business and Wall Street base.

Last week, I saw 12 Years a Slave and thought it was absolutely superb. For this reason, and because it concerns arguably the most important aspect of American history, I have been seeking out commentary about the film.

On Monday, Commentary editor John Podhoretz released the eight-minute tribute/parody video to Dick Cheney, which the magazine showed earlier this month at an honorary roast of the former vice president.